1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable lock for various door thicknesses. In particular, the present invention relates to an adjustable cylindrical lock that can be conveniently and rapidly adjusted to suit the thickness of the door to which the lock is mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,924 to Kim issued on Nov. 30, 1993 discloses a lever assembly for a door lock. As illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings that corresponds to FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,924, the door lock includes a door lock cylinder 910, an outer spindle 911, an inner spindle 912, an outer spacer 921, a nut 922, an outer mounting member 923, an outer cover 924, an outer handle 925, an inner spacer 931, an inner mounting member 932, an inner cover 933, and an inner handle 934. The outer spindle 911 and the inner spindle 912 are respectively attached to two sides of the door lock cylinder 910. The door lock cylinder 910 includes an opening (not labeled) through which a retractor 913 extends, the retractor 913 being operably connected to a latch bolt 914.
The nut 922 includes an inner threading for threadedly engaging with an outer threading on a side of the door lock cylinder 910, allowing adjustment of the position of the retractor 913 and the latch bolt 914 so as to be aligned with a latch hole in an edge of the door. Thus, the lock can be used with doors with various thicknesses. Further, the lock can be used in a case that the latch hole is not located in a middle of the edge of the door. However, when it is desired to turn the nut 922 for moving the latch bolt 914 to suit the position of the latch hole in the door, many elements except the outer spacer 921 must be detached before turning of the nut 922. The lock core is located on an outer side of a typical cylindrical lock such that there are many complicated elements provided on the outer side of the cylindrical lock. When mounting the lock to a door, the elements on the inner side of the lock is firstly detached, and the lock is mounted into a transverse through-hole in the door from an outer side of the door. After attachment of the latch bolt 914, the detached elements are reassembled from an inner side of the door. However, if the latch bolt 914 could not be precisely aligned with the door lock cylinder due to thickness of the door, the outer handle 925, the outer cover 924, and the outer mounting member 923 must be detached before subsequent rotation of the nut 922 for adjusting the position of the latch bolt 914. Detachment and reassembly of the elements on the outer side of the lock are not easy, as positioning of the outer handle 925 is a problem due to the fact that the lock core is mounted in the outer handle 925. Thus, it is a problem not only to a D.I.Y user but also to a locksmith. In some cases, the cylindrical lock might even be damaged during detachment and reassembly.
FIG. 7 illustrates another conventional cylindrical lock that comprises a chassis 810, an outer spindle 811, an inner spindle 812, an outer rose liner 821, an outer rose 822, an outer escutcheon 823, an outer handle 824, an inner rose liner 831, an inner rose 832, an inner escutcheon 833, and an inner handle 834. Compared to the nut 922 in FIG. 6, an adjusting ring 825 for adjusting position of the latch bolt is integrally formed with the outer rose liner 822. The adjusting ring 825 also includes an inner threading 826 for threading engagement with an outer threading 813 on a side of the chassis 810. Thus, when the outer rose liner 821 (including the adjusting ring 825) is turned relative to the chassis 810, the axial position of a retractor (not shown) in the chassis 810 relative to a latch hole (not shown) of a door (not shown) is changed. Thus, the lock can be used with doors having various thicknesses and/or different latch hole positions. However, two positioning posts 827 and two mounting posts 828 project from the outer rose 822 toward an inner side of the door and extend through holes in the outer rose liner 821 to thereby secure the chassis 810 and to thereby connect the inner rose liner 831 and the inner rose 832. Thus, the adjusting ring 825 attached to the outer rose 822 is fixed and therefore could not be turned. When adjustment of the position of the latch bolt for alignment with the latch hole in the door via rotation of the adjusting ring 825 is required, many elements except the outer rose liner 821 must be detached before the adjusting operation. Reassembly is also troublesome. The lock might even be damaged due to improper detachment.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an adjustable lock that can be conveniently and rapidly adjusted to suit the thickness of the door to which the lock is mounted. Thus, the adjustable lock can be used with doors of various thicknesses.
A lock for various door thicknesses in accordance with the present invention comprises a latch assembly including a latch bolt with a hook, a chassis including an inner tubular member on an inner end thereof and an outer tubular member on an outer end thereof, the outer tubular member including an outer threading, an inner spindle having an end pivotally and coaxially mounted in the chassis, an outer spindle having an end pivotally and coaxially mounted in the chassis, a retractor mounted in the chassis and operably connected to the inner spindle and the outer spindle and operably connected to the hook of the latch bolt of the latch assembly such that rotation of either the inner spindle or the outer spindle causes retraction of the latch bolt, an outer handle assembly, and an inner handle assembly.
The outer handle assembly comprises an outer rose liner including a central hole so as to be mounted around the outer tubular member, the outer rose liner including a through-hole, an outer rose including a central hole so as to be mounted around the outer tubular member, a central compartment and a side compartment being defined between the outer rose and the outer rose liner, a ring rotatably mounted in the central compartment, the ring having an inner threading for threading engagement with the outer threading of the outer tubular member, the ring further including a plurality of teeth on an outer periphery thereof, a gear rotatably mounted in the side compartment, the gear including a non-circular hole aligned with the through-hole of the outer rose liner, the gear further including a plurality of teeth meshed with the teeth of the ring, and an outer handle having an end securely attached to the outer spindle to turn therewith.
The inner handle assembly is attached to the inner tubular member and the inner spindle. When the retractor is not aligned with the hook of the latch bolt during installation of the lock, a tool is extended through the through-hole of the outer rose liner into the non-circular hole of the gear to thereby turn the gear and the ring, thereby causing the ring to move relative to the outer tubular member and causing the outer rose liner and the outer rose to move relative to the chassis along a longitudinal direction of the chassis until the retractor is aligned with and engageable with the hook of the latch bolt.
Other objects, specific advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferable embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.